North Carolina eyes grid-enhancing tech to improve aging power lines
Last summer, utility Duke Energy joined U.S. and state officials to announce with fanfare that it would rebuild a 40-mile transmission line between hurricane-prone Goldsboro and Raleigh, North Carolina. The company said the new infrastructure would result in fewer power outages, more solar connected to the grid, and hundreds of new jobs.
Funded jointly by the federal government and Duke, the project highlighted how advanced technology can help solve the problems posed by an aging electric grid: It will include cables better able to withstand extreme weather and modern support structures that can accommodate new sources of power.
'The grant announced today by the Department of Energy is a win for the communities Duke Energy serves, and signals North Carolina's leadership in the energy transition,' Kendal Bowman, president of the utility's North Carolina operations, said at the time.
But advocates and experts say the Lee-Milburnie transmission line in Eastern North Carolina is just the tip of the iceberg. To save consumers money and meet growing energy demand, they believe policymakers should follow other states' lead and encourage Duke to perform many more grid upgrades like the one unveiled last summer.
Bipartisan legislation that would do just that failed to meet a key deadline last week, but its contents could still end up in another bill before the session ends later this year. Backers of the measure remain hopeful, in part because it would benefit all energy sources, not just renewable ones.
'It's not a clean energy bill,' said Mel Mackin, state policy director for the nonprofit advocacy group Ceres. 'It's a grid-modernization bill. It's about upgrading transmission lines to improve efficiency, to improve reliability. It's about reducing grid congestion. We're hopeful legislators will see it that way.'
In North Carolina, as across the country, the transmission grid — the network of high-voltage lines designed to transport electrons across long distances — faces a confluence of challenges. For one thing, the grid is old: about 70% of today's transmission lines were installed at least 35 years ago.
These aging conductors have much less capacity than newer ones, said North Carolina-based Maureen Quinlan, senior officer for energy modernization at The Pew Charitable Trusts. Old lines are also susceptible to failure from normal wear and tear as well as from extreme weather events like hurricanes and heat waves, causing 'road closures' on the electricity highway.
'An element of the grid may go out, and you have to reroute the power,' Quinlan explained. 'Detours are always going to be slower; you're on smaller roads. That's going to create inefficiencies.'
The resulting grid congestion from existing, interconnected power suppliers is one 'today problem,' said Quinlan. A study from the consulting firm Grid Strategies estimated these bottlenecks cost consumers some $11.5 billion nationwide in 2023 because they force utilities looking to avoid congested areas to dispatch more expensive electricity than they otherwise would.
A second challenge for the present is the long line of projects waiting to merge onto the clogged highway that is the transmission grid. In North Carolina and throughout the Southeast, that 'interconnection queue' is dominated by solar farms and battery storage.
As Duke and other utilities race to build power plants of all kinds to supply large data centers, manufacturing plants, electric vehicles, and more, the queue is poised to lengthen until the road is widened — that is, until the grid's capacity is expanded.
'You already have a system that's experiencing a lot of these constraints and backlogs,' said Quinlan. 'That's going to be compounded by growing energy demand.'
Addressing today's bottlenecks helps utilities save money to address a hurdle for tomorrow: building brand new highways to bring large sources of energy, such as offshore wind, to population centers, such as the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area known as The Triangle.
That's why experts are increasingly looking to advanced transmission technologies, which can quickly be added to the existing grid to allow it to carry more power.
'They can be deployed in a matter of months to a few years,' said Quinlan, 'and they're also very cost-effective. [Some] can pay for themselves in less than six months, so they're seen as a bridge to these bigger transmission grid-level needs.'
The technologies include both hardware and software. Carbon composite conductors, for instance, are up to twice as efficient as traditional aluminum cables reinforced with steel, in part because they sag less when overheated. These modern lines are a key reason the Lee-Milburnie upgrade is expected to reduce the length of service interruptions by 10%.
Through a process called dynamic line rating, utilities can place sensors on lines to assess temperature, wind speed, and other factors, allowing significantly more power to flow under favorable conditions.
Installing advanced hardware is more economical than building new conventional transmission lines because it offers more bang for the buck, doesn't involve new rights-of-way, and reuses some existing infrastructure. One recent study found that replacing conventional lines with advanced conductors nationwide would increase the transmission grid's capacity by four times as much as only building new lines. Such 'reconductoring' would also save $85 billion by 2035 compared to business as usual.
The Lee-Milburnie line, for instance, will allow 1,600 megawatts of solar and 260 megawatts of energy storage to connect to the grid in Eastern North Carolina. Duke also told regulators the project would bring $2.1 billion in benefits, The News and Observer reported.
Advanced software technologies are also money-savers. A pair of studies from Quanta Technologies and The Brattle Group shows such software could reduce energy costs nationwide by over $5 billion annually, a former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission wrote in a Utility Dive opinion article last year. However, he wrote, 'a policy vacuum' in the U.S. is holding back adoption.
From Arizona to Maine, there's growing bipartisan interest around the country in filling that void. Just this week, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, signed a bill requiring utilities to report on their advanced transmission efforts.
Advocates made some headway in North Carolina last November, when the state Utilities Commission approved Duke's long-range carbon-reduction plan.
Regulators wrote in their decision that they believe that grid-enhancing technologies 'can be used to overcome interconnection limits, address transmission outage challenges, and interconnect resources while transmission system upgrades are being constructed.'
Commissioners ordered that Duke's next plan, a draft of which is due in September, report on the utility's progress toward implementing such technologies, including explanations for not proceeding with any grid enhancements it evaluated.
Legislation sponsored by Rep. Kyle Hall, a Stokes County Republican who co-chairs the House Energy and Public Utilities Committee, would set that directive into law.
'That makes it more durable,' said Cassie Gavin, director of policy at the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association.
The proposed legislation, House Bill 814, also takes the order a step further, asking Duke to examine a full suite of advanced transmission technologies, including hardware modernization and new software.
Gavin's group has long supported energy efficiency, she said, and promoting advanced transmission technologies is a logical next step.
'This is like energy efficiency for the grid,' she said. 'And it can benefit ratepayers at the same time, so it seems like a no-brainer.'
Still, HB 814 as written won't be eligible to advance for the rest of the General Assembly's two-year session since it failed to pass the House by May 8. The bill also has yet to be discussed by a single legislative committee.
Duke, which holds significant sway in the Republican-controlled legislature, hasn't taken a public stand on the legislation.
However, the utility has previously expressed concern about challenges posed by grid-enhancement technologies. During its planning process last year, the company told regulators that such tools could 'contribute to operational complexities and reduced situational awareness.'
Asked recently about Duke's position, a company spokesperson told Canary Media: 'We appreciate the importance of discussions around ensuring safe and reliable power infrastructure to serve our customers in North Carolina and will continue to work with policymakers and other state leaders toward that goal.'
Official legislative deadlines notwithstanding, North Carolina lawmakers often combine an array of energy policies into one grand compromise bill; that's how they passed the state's bipartisan climate law in 2021. So, advocates remain hopeful that if there's enough political will, there will be a way.
'We're cautiously optimistic,' said Quinlan. 'We look forward to finding a path forward to promote [advanced transmission technologies] in the state as part of its energy future.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Senators Markey and Warren decry Trump's Iran strikes as unconstitutional
'Only Congress can declare war — and the Senate must vote immediately to prevent another endless war,' Warren said. Fellow Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey agreed, calling the strike 'illegal' for having lacked congressional approval. He said in a statement that Saturday's attack may set back Iran's nuclear ambitions, but added that not only can the country 'rebuild its program,' it 'will now be highly motivated to do so.' 'A diplomatic solution remains the best way to permanently and verifiably prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon,' Markey said. Chants of 'No More War' broke out at a Bernie Sanders rally in Tulsa, Okla., after the Vermont Senator read Trump's 'alarming' social media post announcing the strikes. 'The American people do not want more war, more death,' he said. Advertisement Massachusetts Peace Action, a Cambridge-based advocacy group, called for state leaders to speak out. The organization specifically called on Congressional leaders to pass the war power resolutions filed by Senator Tim Kaine and Representative Thomas Massie to prevent further US military action. 'We call on Massachusetts political leaders to speak out strongly against President Trump's lawless military adventure,' the organization wrote on Saturday night, shortly after the US attack on Iran. Brian Garvey, the organization's executive director, said an 'emergency event' was being planned outside Park Street Station at 1 p.m. Sunday, in protest of the strikes. Advertisement 'This direct attack by the United States on Iran a dramatic escalation by President Trump,' Garvey said in a phone call Saturday night. 'It's incredibly dangerous, it's unnecessary, and frankly, it's illegal.' Garvey said the founding fathers were explicit in giving Congress the power to declare war, adding that this is 'not how the government is supposed to work.' 'It is perhaps especially terrible because this is a president who ran saying he was going to seek peace,' he said. 'Back in 2016, he said the Iraq War was a big fat mistake. I fear that what he is leading us into could be even worse than that debacle and quagmire.' Garvey said he was 'fearful' for the US service members stationed in the Middle East, and 'outraged' that the strikes threatened their safety. Camilo Fonseca can be reached at
Miami Herald
4 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Kroger To Close 60 Stores Across US: What To Know
Kroger announced plans to close 60 of its supermarkets across the United States over the next 18 months, representing about 5 percent of the Cincinnati-based company's 1,239 Kroger-branded grocery stores across 16 states. The popular grocery retailer revealed the closure plans while reporting first-quarter earnings on Friday but has not specified which store locations will be affected or released a list of impacted stores. Newsweek reached out to Kroger on Saturday via email for comment. Companies close store locations for various reasons. While shifts in consumer shopping behavior and lower demand can cause stores to close, corporations often choose to shutter underperforming locations. Sales dropped slightly to $45.1 billion compared to $45.3 billion for the same period a year earlier according to Kroger earnings data. The move comes as grocery retailers nationwide face mounting pressures from changing consumer habits, inflation, and increased competition from discount chains and online retailers. More than 2,500 store closures are planned across the U.S. this year, according to The Mirror. Kroger expects the 60 store closures to provide a modest financial benefit to the company, according to a regulatory filing. In the first quarter, Kroger recognized an impairment charge of $100 million related to the planned closings. The company indicated that resulting savings will be reinvested into customer experience initiatives across remaining locations. The closures affect Kroger's extensive footprint spanning 16 states, though the company has remained tight-lipped about specific locations. The grocery retailer told CBS MoneyWatch that it will not be releasing a list of the affected stores. This lack of transparency has left employees and customers uncertain about which communities will lose their local Kroger. However, Kroger says it is committed to supporting displaced workers. All employees at affected stores will be offered roles at other Kroger store locations, though details about relocation assistance or wage protection remain unclear. The timing coincides with broader challenges facing traditional grocery retailers. Many chains are grappling with rising operational costs, changing shopping patterns accelerated by the pandemic, and fierce competition from warehouse clubs, dollar stores, and e-commerce platforms. Kroger company statement: "As a result of these store closures, Kroger expects a modest financial benefit. Kroger is committed to reinvesting these savings back into the customer experience, and as a result, this will not impact full-year guidance." Director of Media Relations/Corporate Communications Erin Rolfes told Newsweek in an email response: "In the first quarter, Kroger recognized an impairment charge of $100 million related to the planned closing of approximately 60 stores over the next 18 months." Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, previously told Newsweek: "For some major retailers, 2025 is becoming a year of consolidation. Retail locations that have struggled in recent years to remain profitable due to rising costs and less demand are being shuttered, as companies focus their efforts on more successful stores. The hope is these closures will ultimately produce more fiscal and operational efficiency, but it will come at the cost of customers who favored these locations having fewer options." Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of previously told Newsweek: "These aren't random casualties; they're strategic amputations of unprofitable limbs to save the corporate $15+ minimum wages to supply chain inflation, all crushing their razor-thin margins. Combine this with the march of e-commerce and changing consumer habits post-pandemic, physical retail becomes a luxury many companies can no longer afford." The 18-month closure timeline suggests Kroger will implement the plan gradually, though specific dates and locations remain undisclosed. Related Articles Kroger Responds After Georgia Juneteenth Cakes Go ViralKroger Food Recall Update: Full List of Products ImpactedWhy You're Not Feeling Trump's Egg Price PlungeRodney McMullen Resigns After Personal Conduct Probe, Kroger Shares Fall 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Chicago Tribune
5 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Pope Leo XIV says there should be no tolerance for abuse of any kind in Catholic Church
LIMA, Peru — Pope Leo XIV has said there should be no tolerance in the Catholic Church for any type of abuse — sexual, spiritual or abuse of authority — and called for 'transparent processes' to create a culture of prevention across the church. Leo made his first public comments about the clergy sex abuse scandal in a written message to a Peruvian journalist who documented a particularly egregious case of abuse and financial corruption in a Peruvian-based Catholic movement, the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae. The message was read out loud on Friday night in Lima during a performance of a play based on the Sodalitium scandal and the work of the journalist, Paola Ugaz. 'It is urgent to root in the whole church a culture of prevention that does not tolerate any form of abuse – neither of power or authority, nor abuse of conscience, spiritual or sexual abuse,' Leo said in the message. 'This culture will only be authentic if it is born of active vigilance, of transparent processes and sincere listening to those who have been hurt. For this, we need journalists.' Leo is well aware of the Sodalitium scandal, since he spent two decades as a missionary priest and bishop in Peru, where the group was founded in 1971. The then-Bishop Robert Prevost was responsible for listening to the Sodalitium's victims as the Peruvian bishops' point-person for abuse victims and helped some reach financial settlements with the organization. After Pope Francis brought him to the Vatican in 2023, Prevost helped dismantle the group entirely by overseeing the resignation of a powerful Sodalitium bishop. The Sodalitium was officially suppressed earlier this year, right before Francis died. Now as pope, Leo has to oversee the dismantling of the Soldalitium and its sizeable assets. The Vatican envoy on the ground handling the job, Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, read out Leo's message on Friday night, appearing alongside Ugaz on stage. In the message, Leo also praised journalists for their courage in holding the powerful to account, demanded public authorities protect them and said a free press is an 'common good that cannot be renounced.' Ugaz and a Sodalitium victim, Pedro Salinas, have faced years of criminal and civil litigation from Sodalitium and its supporters for their investigative reporting into the group's twisted practices and financial misconduct, and they have praised Leo for his handling of the case. The abuse scandal is one of the thorniest dossiers facing Leo, especially given demands from survivors that he go even farther than Francis in applying a zero-tolerance for abuse across the church, including for abusers whose victims were adults.
